Science X Newsletter Sunday, Mar 24

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for March 24, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Two gov notices point to vulnerabilities in devices for heart problems

Aiming for reinvention, Apple eyes streaming, services

Exercise adds up to big brain boosts

Lumotive spreads word on its lidar system for autonomous vehicles

Technology news

	Two gov notices point to vulnerabilities in devices for heart problems The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued communications that cybersecurity vulnerabilities were found in some Medtronic devices. Hundreds of Medtronic heart devices are vulnerable to cybersecurity incidents, according to two US federal government notices.
	Aiming for reinvention, Apple eyes streaming, services Apple looks to begin a fresh reinvention on Monday as it rolls out Hollywood stars for its new streaming television service, part of a broad shift of direction for the California technology giant.
	Lumotive spreads word on its lidar system for autonomous vehicles A Seattle-based company is talking up a storm about solid state lidar powered by liquid crystal metasurface (LCM) technology. The company CTO is proclaiming the LCM chip as "the holy grail of LiDAR."
	Fix to 737 MAX anti-stall software is ready: industry sources (Update) A fix to the anti-stall system suspected in the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet that killed 189 people in Indonesia is ready, industry sources said Saturday, as the company tries to avoid a lengthy grounding of its planes.
	First-of-its-kind US nuclear waste dump marks 20 years In a remote stretch of New Mexico desert, the U.S. government put in motion an experiment aimed at proving to the world that radioactive waste could be safely disposed of deep underground, rendering it less of a threat to the environment.
	Protesters rally against EU internet copyright reform Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in Germany on Saturday to protest against an imminent EU copyright reform.
	Apple's rivals in streaming video Apple is expected to take on streaming rivals like Netflix and Amazon as Hollywood giants Disney and WarnerMedia also move into the space.
	FAA to look at Boeing's fixes for 737 Max jets next week Boeing on Saturday confirmed the flight-control software fixes that it plans to make for its grounded 737 Max 8, the plane involved in two fatal accidents within five months.
	Ethiopian Airlines chief questions Max training requirements The warning and training requirements set for the now-grounded 737 Max 8 aircraft may not have been adequate, in light of the Ethiopian plane crash that killed 157 people, the chief of Ethiopian Airlines said Saturday.
	'Back from the dead': Greek homes in Airbnb fever For Dimitra Dionysopoulou, who lives in the shadow of the Acropolis, there is no mistaking the signs of the Airbnb takeover in her neighbourhood.

Medicine & Health news

	Exercise adds up to big brain boosts Anyone who trains for a marathon knows that individual running workouts add up over time to yield a big improvement in physical fitness. So, it should not be surprising that the cognitive benefits from workouts also accumulate to yield long-term cognitive gains. Yet, until now, there was has been little research to describe and support the underlying neurobiology. In new work being presented this week about the effects of exercise on the brain at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) in San Francisco, researchers are finding that brain changes that occur after a single workout are predictive of what happens with sustained physical training over time.
	Transgender men have functional ovaries after a year of testosterone injections The ovaries of transgender men appear to remain functional even after a year of receiving hormonal treatment with testosterone, according to a small Israeli study presented Saturday in the United States.
Treating diabetes in older adults requires simpler medication regimens, looser glycemic targets Simplifying medication regimens and tailoring glycemic targets in older adults with diabetes improves adherence and avoids treatment-related complications, according to a Clinical Practice Guideline issued today by the Endocrine Society. The Society debuted the guideline during a press conference on the opening day of ENDO 2019, its annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Eating later in the day may be associated with obesity Eating later in the day may contribute to weight gain, according to a new study to be presented Saturday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
Bisphosphonates increasingly prescribed to the women most likely to benefit In recent years, women who start taking bisphosphonates (BPs) to treat osteoporosis and prevent fracture have trended from younger to older and from having osteopenia to having osteoporosis, researchers report. The results of the study will be presented on Saturday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Sperm DNA damage may contribute to repeat miscarriages Some cases of recurrent pregnancy loss may be caused by sperm DNA damage in the male partner, rather than by a problem in affected women, according to research to be presented Sunday, March 24 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	New hybrid closed loop insulin pump proves hard to use for some patients with diabetes Among first-time users of a new insulin pump that automatically delivers insulin to people with type 1 diabetes, nearly one-fifth stopped using the device, primarily because of difficulties meeting the technical demands system, researchers say. Results of a real-world study of the hybrid closed loop insulin pump (Medtronic MiniMed 670G) will be presented Sunday at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Obesity may play role in reproductive problems in women with type 1 diabetes Obesity may play a role in reproductive problems in women with type 1 diabetes, according to a new study to be presented Saturday, March 23 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	For migraine sufferers with obesity, losing weight can decrease headaches For migraine sufferers with obesity, losing weight can decrease headaches and improve quality of life, researchers from Italy and the United States report. The results of their meta-analysis will be presented Saturday, March 23 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
Levothyroxine treatment in women with thyroid antibodies may not increase live birth rate Treating women with thyroid antibodies but a normal thyroid function with a medicine called Levothyroxine does not make them more likely to deliver a live baby, new research led by the University of Birmingham suggests.
Improved PCOS symptoms correlate with gut bacterial composition Symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) improved with exposure to healthy bacteria in the gut, according to a study in a mouse model of this common women's endocrine disorder. The study results will be presented Monday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Another possible consequence of the opioid epidemic: hormone deficiencies Many people who use opioid medications long term do not produce enough testosterone or another important hormone, cortisol, according to a new study. Results of what the researchers called "the most up-to-date and most comprehensive clinical review of endocrine effects of long-term opioid use" are being presented Sunday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	A1c test misses many cases of diabetes Using the hemoglobin A1c blood test to diagnose diabetes tends to underestimate the prevalence of the disease, according to a new study to be presented Saturday, March 23 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Race, ethnicity influence fracture risk in people with diabetes Caucasians and Hispanics with diabetes have a greater risk of fracture compared to those without diabetes, while African Americans with diabetes have little to no additional fracture risk, according to a study to be presented Saturday, March 23 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Older adults with type 1 diabetes often not aware of hypoglycemia Older adults with type 1 diabetes typically have low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, for more than an hour a day, suggests research to be presented Monday, March 25 at ENDO 2019, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in New Orleans, La.
	Breast cancer may be likelier to spread to bone with nighttime dim-light exposure Exposure to dim light at night, which is common in today's lifestyle, may contribute to the spread of breast cancer to the bones, researchers have shown for the first time in an animal study. Results of the study will be presented Saturday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	In healthy young women, sleep quality varies throughout the menstrual cycle Young women are more likely to experience sleep disruption in the days leading up to their menstrual period, according to a new study that will be presented Saturday at ENDO 2019, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in New Orleans, La.
	Fathers-to-be: smoking could harm your baby Fathers-to-be who smoke may increase the risk of congenital heart defects in their offspring, according to a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). For mothers-to-be, both smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke were detrimental.
Smart speaker technology harnessed for hospital medical treatments Smart speakers that are customarily used in your living room can be programmed to act as an aid to physicians in hospital operating rooms, according to new research presented today at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting. Smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home, offer a conversational voice interface that allows interventional radiology (IR) physicians to ask questions and retrieve information needed for their patient treatments without breaking sterile scrub.
New IR treatment for 'tennis elbow' reduces pain and inflammation without surgery Tennis elbow, the painful chronic condition that affects up to 3 percent of the U.S. adult population, can be effectively treated through transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), an image-guided, non-surgical treatment that decreases abnormal blood flow to the injured area to reduce inflammation and pain, according to research presented today at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting. The condition, also known as lateral epicondylitis, stems from repetitive stress injuries that occur in activities such as sports, typing and knitting, and the injury is common in carpenters, cooks and assembly line workers impacting basic tasks that affect job performance and quality of life.
	FDA takes up decades-long debate over breast implant safety U.S. health officials are taking another look at the safety of breast implants, the latest review in a decades-long debate.
	Particulate air pollution linked with reduced sperm production in mice Exposure to tiny air pollution particles may lead to reduced sperm production, suggests new research in mice to be presented Monday, March 25 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Chemicals in household dust may promote fat cell development Endocrine-disrupting chemicals present in household dust promote the development of fat cells in a cell model and could contribute to increased growth in children relative to their age, according to research to be presented Monday, March 25 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Screen time plus snacking a risk for metabolic disorder in teens Teens who sit for hours watching TV, using the computer or playing video games while eating unhealthy snacks are at increased risk for a group of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, according to research to be presented Monday, March 25 at ENDO 2019, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in New Orleans, La.
Exposure to HIV virus, treatment before birth linked to obesity later in life Teens and young adults who were exposed to HIV and antiretroviral therapy before birth but are HIV-negative themselves are at increased risk of obesity and asthma-like symptoms, according to research to be presented Saturday, March 23 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
Genetic rickets improves more with burosumab than standard care, study finds Burosumab, a new injectable medicine to treat X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), an inherited form of rickets, demonstrates superior improvements in rickets and other outcomes compared with conventional therapy in an international, phase 3 clinical trial in children. Results from what investigators called the first head-to-head study comparing the new drug with conventional treatment for this rare disease will be presented Sunday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
Cost savings from growth hormone insurance strategies not passed on to patients Increasingly aggressive insurance strategies have lowered the total costs and insurance costs of growth hormone drugs, but those savings are not being passed on to patients, according to new research to be presented Sunday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
Investigational obesity drug, oxytocin, weakens brain's reward signals for food The hormone oxytocin reduces the communication between different brain areas involved in the cognitive, sensory and emotional processing of food cues that people with obesity demonstrate when they look at high-calorie foods, according to research being presented Monday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	BPA exposure during pregnancy can alter circadian rhythms Exposure to the widely used chemical bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy, even at levels lower than the regulated "safe" human exposure level, can lead to changes in circadian rhythms, according to a mice study to be presented Monday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La. The researchers report these changes may be a contributing factor in hyperactivity seen in BPA-exposed mice.
Autoimmune diseases are related to each other, some more than others Researchers using the world's largest twin registry to study seven autoimmune diseases found the risk of developing the seven diseases is largely inherited, but that some diseases are more closely related than others. These results will be presented Sunday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
Obesity speeds up the start of puberty in boys, study finds Girls are not the only ones who go through puberty early if they have obesity. Boys with obesity enter puberty at an earlier age than average, according to a study that will be presented Sunday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Adipose hormone may play role in obesity-related asthma New research suggests a hormone released from fat tissue is critical in the development of obesity-related asthma and may be a target of future treatments for the disease. The findings will be presented Saturday, March 23 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
Patients bear increased financial burden for growth hormone treatment despite FDA approval Despite an FDA approval of growth hormone treatment for children with idiopathic short stature (ISS), the mean cost burden to patients and their families has increased over time, according to findings from researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) of the University of Pennsylvania. The findings were presented during ENDO 2019 in New Orleans, LA.
	Females respond poorly to ketogenic weight loss diet in an animal model The ketogenic diet recently has been touted for weight loss and improving blood sugar control, but a new study finds that females fail to show these metabolic benefits on this high-fat, very low-carbohydrate diet. Results of the animal study will be presented Sunday at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
CPAP machine improves weight loss in dieting adults with obesity, sleep apnea When trying to lose weight by cutting calories, people who have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in addition to obesity can lose more weight if they treat their sleep disorder with an overnight CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, machine. This finding of a new study will be presented Saturday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	California grower recalls avocados over possible listeria A Southern California company is voluntarily recalling whole avocados over possible listeria contamination.

Biology news

Toxicologist denies manipulating studies in Monsanto damages proceedings A toxicologist from Roundup weedkiller manufacturer Monsanto denied Friday that she had influenced scientific studies to hide the dangers of the product, in the damages phase of a trial in California.

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